It’s no surprise that outdoor weddings are more popular than ever; in fact, it seems only logical.  After all, millions of backyards have been turned into luxurious exterior rooms, complete with outdoor sofas, loveseats, lounge chairs, outdoor dining tables, and other comforts.  Furthermore, many people also have gazebos and pavilions, which are perfect settings for weddings and receptions.  With all of these amenities, who wants to go anywhere else?

The trouble is that insects also enjoy hanging out in these backyard havens; and they wouldn’t think twice about crashing an outdoor wedding.  So, if you’re planning one, take all possible measures to prevent them from ruining the occasion.  You can begin by spraying the area the day before the ceremony.  Using citronella candles is also a must; and, fortunately, they’re much more attractive than they used to be.  No longer available only in big, silver buckets, they now come in all colors of votive candles, which can easily be worked into any centerpiece, or used separately, in decorative holders.

Of course, taking steps to reduce the insect population is a good move anyway, because, aside from being mere annoyances, they can sometimes even be deadly.  Such is the case with mosquitoes, which can carry the West Nile virus.  Luckily, you can control them by eliminating their favorite breeding grounds, which are pools of stagnant water.

Don’t leave anything lying around outside that will collect water, such as empty buckets, flowerpots, planters, wheelbarrows, sandboxes, sandbox covers, wading pools, waste receptacles and lids, or old tires.  If you’re not using these items for their intended purposes, bring them inside, put them in your garage or shed, or get rid of them.

If you have any low spots in your yard, where puddles remain for days after a heavy rain, build them up with topsoil.  If there are sunken areas on hard surfaces that cannot be raised, put a few drops of dish detergent into the puddles.  This will make them uninhabitable by mosquitoes, and kill their eggs as well.

Keep wasps away by destroying their nests, which are usually found under the eaves of houses, sheds, and garages.  Just wait until dusk, when all the wasps are tucked in for the night, and squirt them with wasp and hornet spray; it shoots a steady stream that travels 20 to 30 feet, and kills on contact.

To get rid of maverick wasps, fill some margarine containers halfway with sugar water, cut tiny holes in the lids, and set them around the outskirts of the yard.  The wasps will go into the holes, and get stuck inside the containers.  Yellow jackets often nest in the ground; so, wait until after dark, pour boiling water down the hole, and you’ll wipe out the entire colony.

As for flies, well, they’re really tough to control.  I mean, they can certainly be trapped on fly paper, but it’s never a pretty sight.  So, I guess you’ll just have to do something creative, like having fly swatters for favors.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Unlike spring, summer, fall, and winter, cookout season has no official beginning.  It all depends upon where you live, and what you consider suitable weather for cooking outdoors.  Sometimes, even people in cold climates do it year-round; but, for most of the country, the period that is generally viewed as cookout season is quickly approaching.

Millions of people are looking forward to firing up their grills, and eating at their picnic tables.  However, before they cook their first burgers, everyone should make sure that their grills, whether they are gas grills, charcoal grills, or electric grills, are in good operating condition.

Remember, a grill that is kept in a shed over the winter often has company, other than stored patio furniture.  It may be visited by rodents and bugs that are looking for a place to hole up during the cold months; and, while they can cause some damage, the grill can also be adversely affected simply from standing idle for a long stretch.

So, if your grill has been in storage, see that it is in top working order before you use it.  If it’s a gas grill, check the tubes that lead into the burner for blockages that may have been caused by spiders, insects, or grease; and if you find a clog, use a pipe cleaner to push it through to the main part of the burner, where you can remove it.  Although a wire will work, too, it can also damage the tube if you’re not extremely careful.  Examine hoses for brittleness, and make sure that there are no cracks, holes, leaks, or sharp bends in them.

Inspect gas cylinders for leaks as well, by applying soapy water to their hoses, and looking for bubbles; don’t count on being able to smell gas escaping.  If you find a leak, turn off the gas tank and grill, wait for the leak to stop, and have the unit serviced by a professional.  If the leak doesn’t stop, call the fire department.  Likewise, if you smell gas while you are cooking, get away from the grill, and call the fire department.

Any gas cylinder that was manufactured after April 2002 will have an overfill protection device (OPD) that will shut off the gas flow before it reaches capacity, decreasing the potential for the release of propane gas if the cylinder heats up.  The OPD will have a triangular hand wheel.

If your grill is in questionable shape, or needs costly repairs, it may be time to get a new one.  Look for features such as stainless steel cooking grids, drip pans, lid thermometers, and rotary igniters.  Of course, even a basic charcoal grill, or a simple fire ring, can work just fine.  The important thing is to get a grill that will serve your purposes and suit your lifestyle.

By the way, if your grill has suffered any ill effects from being stored, you may want to get a grill or barbecue cover; or, perhaps, a new shed!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Although it’s important to winterize your home before the weather gets cold, life often gets so hectic that, before you know it, the year is over, the world is frozen, and you’ve already paid a fortune in heating bills.

The bad news is that the worst is yet to come.  The good news is that you can still do something about it; and the bitter cold and snow can give you a good idea of what needs to be fixed.  Now, you won’t have to search for gaps and cracks that let air in, because the bone-chilling gusts of wind that whip through your living room will help you to easily pinpoint them.  Just get some weatherstripping, caulk, or heat-shrinking plastic, and seal them.

A substantial snowfall can also tell you a lot.  If it melts rapidly from atop your shingles, and icicles form quickly, without a thaw, it means that heat is escaping in the exact direction in which your heating bills have been heading – through the roof.  Check your attic floor to see that it has adequate, evenly-distributed, gap-free insulation, of uniform thickness.  If you have to add more, be sure that the side with the vapor barrier is facing down, toward the rooms that you want to keep warm.

Break up any ice dams that form along the eaves, as they can cause melting snow to puddle and leak through your roof.  Wherever possible, sweep snow off roofs that have shallow angles, on your house, garage, gazebo, carport, cabana, pool house, shed, or sunroom.

If you have not taken measures to prevent your pipes from freezing, do it now.  You can use foam insulation sleeves, or electric heat tape, but don’t use the latter on plastic pipes.  If a severe cold snap is imminent, turn the sink and bathtub faucets on to a slow trickle, and cover exposed crawl space vents with plywood.

If your porch chairs, gliders, swings, and picnic tables are still outside, and they’re not the synthetic or metal types that are impervious to the elements, either store them, or put outdoor furniture covers on them.

Do this even if outdoor furniture is the last thing on your mind right now.  It may not happen today, or even tomorrow, but, believe it or not, the sun will come out again!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

While your gazebo can be integral to your backyard Halloween party, if you have a pool house, a cabana, an outdoor sunroom, or even a shed, don’t let it stand idly by during the festivities; any one of these garden structures can also figure into your celebration.

Although they may be useful for many things, just as with the gazebos, the number of ways in which they can serve will depend upon their sizes.  For example, the smaller ones may be perfect for setting up a few folding tables for a buffet, while the larger ones may be roomy enough to hold picnic tables, outdoor dining tables, bar sets, or bistro sets, where guests can sit down and eat. 

Many people also like to turn their outdoor structures into haunted houses.  In these cases, the degrees to which they can be used as such will vary not only according to the buildings’ sizes, but to the ambitions of their owners as well.  Obviously, not everyone wants to go to great lengths for an elaborately staged production, where people walk through in the dark, being scared by others wearing horrifying costumes, while wielding bloody axes and chain saws.      

More often, the gazebos, sheds, cabanas, and pool houses are adorned with spooky decorations, and equipped with eerie lighting and sound effects.  In order to make things as chilling as possible, many people also like to roll out a little fog.  Unfortunately, fog machines have always been too expensive and impractical for most to consider buying; and the alternative, dry ice, is not only a hassle, but can be costly, and dangerous, if it comes in direct contact with skin. 

However, because they have become much more affordable, compact, and easy to use, fog machines are quickly increasing in popularity.  These days, all you have to do is to pour a little fog fluid (usually a solution of glycol and water) into the machine, to instantly create the perfect atmosphere.  Many of the newer ones even have remote controls, and will turn off automatically when they’re low on fluid.  Furthermore, they’re often small enough to be concealed behind an arbor, trellis, pergola, or even a planter.    

So, there you have some more ideas about how you can use your outdoor furniture and garden structures for your outdoor Halloween parties.  And if you are considering getting one of the aforementioned machines, I really hate to say this, but, I guess that could literally be called a foggy notion!  (I’m sorry!)

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Every year, thousands of people are discovering that sheds are good for a lot more than just storage.  Furthermore, because we offer them in so many attractive designs, with tons of features, including various kinds of flooring, walls, and windows, steel doors, cupolas, lofts, vents, skylights, shutters, flower boxes, and several types and colors of shingles, trim, and siding, they can be just as beautiful as gazebos, cabanas, pool houses, and sunrooms. 

At GazeboCreations.com, you can get a pre-designed package, or customize your own gable, saltbox, hip roof, or barn-style shed in just a few steps.  While you’re waiting for your easy-to-assemble kit to arrive, you’ll want to make sure that your chosen building location is properly prepared.

As long as your site is fairly level, you shouldn’t have any problem getting it ready, because the shed will be sitting upon 4 x 4 runners.  If necessary, you can use bricks, concrete blocks, or pressure treated lumber (2 x 4, 2 x 6, or 4 x 4), cut to about 8”, as shims, to level it. Each runner should contact either the ground or the leveling materials at each end, and at least one point in the middle.     

It’s okay if it’s not perfectly level, because a slight grade will help with drainage; and using shims to level the shed will maintain a steady flow of air beneath it, which is important for keeping the inside dry.  For the same reason, if you want to put skirting around the bottom, it’s best to use lattice, or another ventilated material. 

Now, if the ground is too uneven, it can compromise the stability of the shed.  If it’s less than 24” out of level, you can still shim it, using concrete blocks, but make sure that the ground beneath the piers is level, and that each runner has at least four points of contact. 

If it’s more than 24” out of level, you’ll have to use 6 x 6 posts, cemented into the ground.  The rule of thumb is that for every foot the post is above ground, at least half of that length should be underground, which means that if it’s 5’ above ground, 2½’ should be in concrete.  Check your local codes, however, as they may require posts to be a minimum depth that is equal to the “frost line,” which varies among climates.      

If you want to dig out a level spot instead of using posts, make it 12” to 24” larger than the shed’s perimeter, to give yourself enough room to build.  If the area is more than a few inches deep, taper the slope of the ground, and plant grass, or put in a retaining wall, so that the ground won’t cave in against the shed. 

Once you’ve prepared your site, you’d also better prepare your sight, because our sheds are so eye-poppingly gorgeous, that you may have to hang onto those eyeballs!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Things in the world are changing so fast that we can’t seem to go a day without hearing about something being the “new” something else.  All of a sudden, 40 is the new 20, 60 is the new 40, 80 is the new 60, bald is the new hairy, fat is the new thin, geeky is the new cool, left is the new right, up is the new down, and on is the new off.  Whew!

Whether or not any one of these is true – or even makes sense – this trend clearly indicates a struggle to alter images, attitudes, and ideas about people, products, animals, and, well, nearly everything else.  In a way, it’s encouraging to see that society is becoming less inclined to cling to out-dated notions and, perhaps, is even willing to let go of long-held stereotypes; and, no doubt, there have been some dramatic changes.  

One of the biggest revolutions has been in the world of outdoor structures.  Take the shed, for instance, which has certainly had its share of image problems.  At one point, according to many old movies and TV shows, it was a dreadful place where parents took their kids to punish them.  More recently, it has been perceived as a crumbling backyard building – often having a leaky roof, and uneven doors that are secured by a rusty latch and a padlock – that is used strictly for storing lawn mowers, tools, folding chairs, hammocks, outdoor furniture cushions and covers, fertilizer, and countless miscellaneous items. 

That is no longer the case, however.  These days, the shed is enjoying a newfound status as a beautiful and versatile building that can serve dozens of purposes.  This upgraded standing is thanks, in large part, to GazeboCreations.com, where you can customize your own cedar, pine, or vinyl shed.  Just choose the style – barn, saltbox, hip roof, or gable – the size, and the material you want, then select from a menu of options that includes several colors of siding, trim, shingles, and shutters, various window styles and types of flooring, cupolas, vents, skylights, and window boxes.  You can also build a gazebo, sunroom, cabana, or pool house using the same method.

These durable, multi-talented sheds have inspired several “new” expressions, which vary from person to person.  Because these buildings are being used in so many different capacities, you’ll hear people claiming that the shed is the new spare room, home office, home gym, weight room, laundry room, artist’s studio, playhouse, pottery room, potting hut, hobby room, supply room, or greenhouse, just to name a few. 

But, because the possibilities are endless, we’ll just simplify things by saying that the shed is the new “it” building.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

These days, everywhere you turn, someone is getting a makeover and/or competing for some kind of prize.  In fact, these contests have becomes so widespread that they no longer involve only humans, as animals, and even buildings, are getting new looks.  That’s what’s happening now in the world of backyard structures, as they vie for the “Most Popular” title; and, among the contenders, the pool house is making a big splash. 

Although it has been on the scene for years, there is a new wave of interest in it, sparked by a spectacular makeover that has given the structure many extremely desirable new traits.  Now, besides being as practical as it is beautiful, it very deftly combines the best characteristics of its competitors, the gazebo and the garden shed.

Indeed, the pool house is not only as drop-dead gorgeous as a gazebo, but it is available with the same highly sought-after options, such as finished walls and ceilings, screened floors, cupolas, skylights, double-paned, shuttered windows, insulation, and steel doors. 

It also has quite an extensive wardrobe, which includes a rich, luxurious cedar coat, as well as vinyl siding in several luscious colors.  To top it off, the pool house also sports over a dozen colors of durable shingles, as well as a cedar shake roof, and accessorizes with eight shades of trim.    

Another of its many attractive attributes is its willingness to be seen in a less-than-glamorous role, as it performs all of the same duties as a shed, holding safe anything and everything that a person can to stuff into it, without losing its composure.  It also acts as the quintessential cabana, where people can change into and out of their swimwear.  Furthermore, just like gazebos and sheds, pool houses can be furnished with beautiful porch chairs, settees, lounges, and accent tables, and used year-round as spare rooms, guesthouses, home offices, entertainment rooms, or anything else that one wishes to make of them.

At GazeboCreations.com, you can customize your own pool house in a few, easy steps.  You can create as many as you want, dress them up any way you like, and save them to your own, personal gallery, where you can compare them side by side and choose your favorite.  As a matter of fact, you can do the same with their gazebos, sheds, cabanas, and sunrooms.  The best part of all is that, no matter which one you select, you’ll be picking a winner!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy